– MIND + BODY –
The Path to Healing Trauma
The word trauma has become quite popular. In the midst of our nation’s mental health crisis, we’re curious to define it and understand how it can be addressed. And no one understands this better than Sydney Wasdin, M.Ed., LPC, NCC, RYT, owner of True Yoga +Therapy, a facility providing integrative health and wellness-focused practice of Counseling/Psychotherapy, Nutrition Counseling, yoga classes, yoga-therapy and educational workshops for children, teens, young adults, adults, and families. Here, she shares her expertise, approach and hope.
By Caroline Edmondson
For the past three years, Sydney Wasdin has prioritized working with those patients who have experienced an acute level of trauma through mindfulness, somatic and movement therapies such as yoga. This type of treatment offers excellent and needed opportunities to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and processes required for symptom reduction and healing needed to allow the central nervous system to re-regulate itself.
But before we can further explore the how this type of therapy works to heal deep-rooted traumas, it is important to understand how trauma arises and the best way to diagnose it. “One way I help people conceptualize trauma is by describing it as anything that impacted you in a substantial or profound way,” Sydney shares. “It is up to the individual to really determine what to them is ‘traumatic.’”
But what exactly is trauma? Trauma is an umbrella term for three different kinds of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex. Acute Trauma is a specific stressful event, circumstance, or crisis that impacts someone’s life in a significant way. Chronic Trauma is the repeated and prolonged exposure to highly stressful and/or traumatic events. Complex Trauma results from exposure to multiple traumatic events. But are these forms of trauma the same as PTSD? And if so, how will that alter your course to healing?
For starters, PTSD is one of many clinical disturbances that can result from a traumatic event or from repeated exposure to traumatic events notated when someone has experienced clinically significant and maladaptive impairment and symptomology related to this event. “Everyone experiences some kind of trauma in their life and it is possible for it to play a role in their present behavioral patterns, thoughts and emotions. But not everyone has diagnosable PTSD,” says Sydney. “Trauma can also cause the onset of other issues such as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, substance abuse, dissociation, personality disorders, and other health issues. Within the context of PTSD, the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines trauma as exposure to actual or even threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence by directly experiencing of or witnessing the event, learning of the even occurring to a close family member or friend, or even experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic events.
When it comes to recognizing our own trauma, we often times shrug it off, claiming to not need the help, or worse, we’re too scared to burden our friends and loved ones with our pain. So, if you feel like you’re unable to move on from something, frequently feel like you’re living in the past or a past event that keeps resurfacing, or if you’re experiencing symptoms such as flashbacks, night terrors, insomnia, anxiety, depression, continuous relational problems and/or feelings of isolation and/or estrangement from others, overly negative and maladaptive beliefs about oneself, others or the world, persistent inability to experience positive emotions, persistent irritability, anger outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behavior, suicidal or homicidal ideation or threat, hyper vigilance and difficulty concentrating—you most likely have undiagnosed trauma that is negatively impacting your life and it is time to seek help.
Even still, recognizing that we suffer from trauma can cause a great deal of anxiety, leaving us too scared to begin our healing journey. “People move through each stage of change as they’re ready to and at their own pace. You should never push someone into his or her trauma or into addressing it before they’re ready. To do so can actually be retraumatizing to the person,” warns Sydney. “Trauma work begins when that client is truly ready, willing and has the appropriate supports in place to be able to process their trauma at their own will. When someone does decide to seek treatment for their trauma specifically, it’s helpful to have realistic expectations: when trauma work begins, it can bring back post-traumatic symptoms and it is very difficult work. It can also bring up more traumas that the client had since long forgotten, which may then need work around, too.”
But when he or she is ready, the real works begins, and that’s where Sydney comes in. The first step is actually diagnosing each individual’s trauma and forming a plan to combat it. “First and foremost, I focus on getting to know and listening to the person in front of me to see them for who they truly are in order to help them come to understand themselves, find or redefine themselves and their experiences as they are. We assess for trauma using certain inventories to get an idea of what trauma each person has experienced, no matter what brings them in to the office initially,” shares Sydney.
What determines if the diagnosis would be classified under Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders is the onset of the symptoms and it’s relation to the trauma experienced, and the symptoms as it relates to the trauma(s) itself along with those trauma-specific symptoms such as flashbacks and night terrors that directly relate to the trauma themselves. “We utilize their unique strengths derived from these experiences to help them reduce symptoms, improve their quality of life, and achieve the goals they have for themselves, whatever they might be. I’ve seen this be pivotal for teens, young adults and adults, alike in preventing key issues that can come up, increasing coping with past and present circumstances, and cultivating an existence that they genuinely want,” she tells us.
One way in which Sydney is combating the effects of trauma is through a holistic approach of both the mind and body. Because when mental health issues go untreated, the persistent psychological issues (such as high cortisol and norepinephrine levels) created can cause or activate other pre-existing or pre-disposed issues within the body, resulting in chronic illness and/or flare ups of chronic illness. “Your body is an important tool to use in the process of helping yourself relearn and rewire your brain, neurological pathways, and the responses and behaviors they control. Your body experiences trauma with you and is affected by all that you go through, with or without you being conscious of it,” Sydney shares. “You and your body have to relearn or learn new skills that consider the trauma you’ve experienced and it offers excellent opportunities to stimulate other processes needed to heal and re-regulate the nervous system, decreasing some of the most impairing symptoms with consistent practice.”
This is exactly why Sydney uses yoga as an extension of her practice as there are several skills and principles used to help re-regulate the nervous system and therefore heal from trauma. “In yoga, we utilize mindfulness practices which promote being present and aware in the moment so that we are consciously in the present and creating distinction from the past. It allows people body autonomy, the ability to notice their somatic experience and progress at their own pace, and because of the benefits meditation and movement offer for stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for relaxation, sleep and organ function, which counteracts the stress response caused by the sympathetic nervous system.”
If each of Sydney’s patients gave their true effort and are willing to participate in this type of intervention, at minimum, they would see reduced emotional reactivity and increased feeling of control and autonomy over their own lives, thinking and behaviors, and learn how to experience things from a different perspective with curiosity and less fear. “It is so rewarding to see the relief on people’s faces and to see them take control over their own lives, decisions and relationships (in a healthy way), and actually experience healthy self-esteem, happiness and trust in themselves,” beams Sydney.
Perhaps the biggest take away is that it is never too late to address trauma, especially if it is impacting your life in a negative way, and to give grace to yourself, your friends, and your loved ones. If you’re concerned about a loved one, Sydney advises us to express that openly and privately to them in either general or specific terms. And if you’re trusted enough to serve as confidant to someone’s confession of trauma, empathize and validate their individual experience then direct them to someone like Sydney who can help them address their problems and work towards healing. “I truly wish that people knew that you don’t have to wait around to be recommended to therapy by your doctor or until you’re miserable and struggling with clinical depression to seek help. And also, if you’re already there, that’s okay and it’s never too late. However, the sooner you reach out, the better,” she says, adding, “Therapy can also serve as an act of self-care and a responsible preventative measure.”
Sydney leaves us with one final parting message: “There is hope and help available. You have a choice in how you’d like to experience life and what you do. The world is not hopeless. You have control in your experiences and what you take from them. And, whether or not you’ve experienced what you’d consider trauma, you don’t have to be a victim.”
True Yoga + Therapy | 8851 Rand Ave Suite B | Daphne, AL | 251.250.9440 | TrueYogaTherapy.com
